Sun, sea and cheaper roaming charges from Saturday

If you’re heading to the continent for a short break this bank holiday weekend - good news! From Saturday 30 April EU regulations mean it will cost you less to use your smartphone outside the UK.

While there could be variation depending on which network you are on, the EU has set out a price guide for networks of 3p per minute, 1p per text and 3p per MB of data. These prices exclude VAT.

Three UK’s rate will drop from 16.6p per minute, 5.2p per text and 17.4p per MB to 4.3p per minute, 1.5p per text and 4.3p per MB on April 30.

And Tesco Mobile has announced that it will drop roaming charges altogether in more than 30 European countries between May and September this year.

According to Lib Dem MEP Catherine Bearder, the new rules are a big victory for British mobile phone users. She said: “The end of rip-off roaming fees is a massive win for British consumers. Driving down costs and making it easier to travel is what being in the EU is all about.

“This shows what we can achieve when Britain plays a leading role in Europe.”

And by the time your summer holiday comes around next year, things will get even better - whatever your network.

From 14 June 2017, all roaming charges in the EU will be abolished. That means mobile phone users may get away without paying anything extra when travelling to foreign countries within the European Union.